Want Toned Arms? Start with Your Legs

We’ve all been there—staring at the mirror, flexing our arms, wondering why they don’t look as defined as we’d like. Naturally, the first instinct is to start hammering out endless bicep curls and triceps pulldowns, hoping for that sculpted look. But what if I told you that the key to toned arms has nothing to do with training your arms directly?

One day last week, someone came up to me in the gym and asked,

“Leo, I want to have toned arms. What exercises should I focus on? I’ve done four sets of bicep curls and four sets of triceps pulldowns, but I don’t know what else I should do. Do you know any other arm exercises?”

I looked at her and answered, “If you want toned arms, do legs.”

She looked confused. “Legs? What does that have to do with arms?”

Here’s the thing—your legs contain some of the largest muscles in your body. Your quads and glutes make up over 50% of your total muscle mass. When you train these big muscle groups, your body requires far more energy, which means higher calorie burn, increased metabolism, and greater fat loss compared to isolating small muscles like your biceps and triceps.

Not only that, but compound leg exercises—such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges—trigger a greater release of growth hormone (GH) and testosterone, both of which play a huge role in fat loss and muscle development. In fact, studies show that compound movements can increase post-exercise calorie burn for up to 48 hours, meaning your body keeps burning fat even after you’ve left the gym.

Now, let’s talk about fat loss. Your body doesn’t decide to burn fat in one specific area just because you’re working it. Fat loss happens systemically—your body pulls fat from all over, not just from the muscles you’re training. However, the first places you’ll notice fat loss tend to be your extremities—your arms, legs, face, and neck.

Think of your body like your bank accounts. You have checking and savings. Your core is your savings—where all your vital organs are located: heart, liver, kidneys, stomach, and gut. That’s your body’s treasure, and it will protect that at all costs. Your arms, legs, and extremities are your checking account.

And if you’re like most people, your head (aka your mind) doesn’t always like your body. And like most toxic relationships, the feelings are mutual.

So, before your body taps into its savings, it will drain its checking account first. That’s why there’s no such thing as spot reduction—doing endless bicep curls won’t magically “tone” your arms. Studies have shown that targeted fat loss is a myth, and the only way to reveal muscle definition is through overall fat reduction.

The Takeaway

If your goal is toned arms, the best thing you can do is focus on training your entire body—especially your legs. Compound movements like squats, lunges, and deadlifts will burn more fat, build more muscle, and get you the results you’re after much faster than isolating your arms alone.

So next time you think about skipping leg day, remember this: stronger legs don’t just mean stronger legs. They mean leaner arms, a fitter body, and a healthier you.